Written Answers Friday 11 February 2005

Written Answers

Friday 11 February 2005

Scottish Executive

Alcohol Misuse

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost to the NHS has been of treating people diagnosed with alcoholic liver disease in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost to the NHS has been of treating people diagnosed with alcohol-induced pancreatitis in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost to the NHS has been of treating people diagnosed with alcoholic gastritis in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost to the NHS has been of treating people diagnosed with alcoholic cardiomyopathy in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost to the NHS has been of treating people diagnosed with alcoholic polyneuropathy in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost to the NHS has been of treating people diagnosed with degeneration of the nervous system due to alcohol in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost to the NHS has been of treating people diagnosed with mental and behavioural disorders due to alcohol in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.

Rhona Brankin: Costs data for specific conditions such as alcohol-induced illnesses are not available centrally.

Environment

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken following the decisions of the Transport and the Environment Committee and the European Parliament’s Petitions Committee to call for the closure of the cattle incinerator in Carntyne, Glasgow.

Lewis Macdonald: There has been significant and continuing improvement in the environmental record of the Carntyne incinerator since the committees submitted their reports in 2003. Specific measures to upgrade odour abatement systems have been installed, and improved monitoring equipment and systems introduced. The incinerator now complies fully with all relevant environmental standards. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), which regulates the incinerator, has been asked to submit regular reports to the Executive confirming details of any complaint received by the agency concerning the plant’s operations, together with the action SEPA and the company are taking to address the complaint. We expect SEPA to take robust enforcement action in the event of any future breaches of the incinerator’s authorisation.

  The Executive has also commissioned research on the interaction between land use planning and environmental regulation, which was published in October 2004. This report makes a number of detailed recommendations which are being carefully considered by ministers. The report can be found at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/planning/iblu-00.asp.

NHS Waiting Times

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting times are for in-patient treatment for maxillofacial specialties, broken down NHS board.

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting times are for out-patient appointments for maxillofacial specialties, broken down by NHS board.

Mr Andy Kerr: The information requested is currently being validated by the Information Services Division of NHS National Services Scotland. I will write to the member as soon as the information is available and will arrange for a copy of my reply to be placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

Road Safety

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in improving road safety on the A737.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive is progressing schemes to install roundabouts at the A737/A760 Roadhead Junction and the Head Street and Barmill Road Junctions on the Beith Bypass. In addition North Ayrshire Council is promoting and funding an off-line improvement between Beith and Dalry, known as the Den Improvement, to bypass a series of bends and a small settlement.

  A full study into the road problems at Dalry, including proposals for a bypass, using the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance methodology is currently being carried out and should be completed by the end of June 2005.

  Each year the Scottish Executive analyses accidents across the trunk road network, which includes the A737, in order to identify and bring forward an annual programme of targeted road safety improvements. The following accident investigation and prevention schemes identified in the 2003-04 accident interrogation are currently underway:

  Middleton to St James Roundabout (improved signing and lining)

  A737/B706 Beith Junction (signing, lining and high friction surfacing)

  A737/B777 Beith Junction (Patching and replacement of carriageway markings)

  Dalry to Highfield (improved signing, lining, carriageway markings and application of high friction surfacing)

  Howwood to Barrodger (signing, lining and high friction surfacing).

Road Signs

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to revising its signage strategy on motorways and trunk roads; whether a revised strategy will be issued and, if so, what the likely timescale is for its introduction.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive has no plans to revise its general signposting strategy for motorways and trunk roads. However, the Executive is currently reviewing the Trunk Road and Motorway Tourist Signposting Policy document (TRMTSP) which was published in 1998. The review is considering minor amendments to the TRMTSP in the light of experience and practice to ensure that a consistent approach to tourist signposting continues to be provided across the trunk road network. This review should be completed by summer 2005.

  The Scottish Executive has an ongoing programme of providing further electronic variable message signs at key locations across the network.

Sport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2O-4935 by Patricia Ferguson on 20 January 2005, where the artificial pitches are being developed; what size these pitches will be; what the manufacturing details are of the turf to be used, and what the timescale is for the completion of each pitch.

Patricia Ferguson: Under the Building for Sport programme, there has only been one award made, to Argyll and Bute Council for a third generation synthetic pitch at Oban High School. Work on the pitch, which will measure 106m by 66m, should commence during the school summer holidays. Until a contractor is appointed, it is not possible to give details of the actual turf to be used or the completion date.

  Information on synthetic pitches being developed through the NOPES programme is not held centrally, but information on specific projects can be obtained from the Big Lottery Fund.

Transport

Chris Ballance (South of Scotland) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what its strategic plan is for development of the walking and cycling infrastructure in the next five years.

Nicol Stephen: The Transport White Paper, Scotland’s Transport Future , was published in June 2004 and introduced the development of Regional and National Transport Strategies.

  Consultation will take place throughout 2005 and early 2006 on a National Transport Strategy which will give a long-term strategic framework to all Scottish transport developments in all modes of transport. It will build on the white paper by showing how transport will contribute to our five key priorities (economy; environment; social inclusion; safety, and integration) over the medium to long-term.

Transport

Chris Ballance (South of Scotland) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been allocated for investment in the cycling and walking infrastructure in each of the last five years, broken down by organisation.

Nicol Stephen: Allocations have been made to local authorities for cycling, walking and safer streets projects and from successful bids from the Public Transport Fund as well as to Sustrans for the development of the National Cycle Network in Scotland. The allocations are set out in the following table.

  

Organisations
2000-01
(£000)
2001-02
(£000)
2002-03
(£000)
2003-04
(£000)
2004-05
(£000)


Aberdeen City
200
111
1,051
650
343


Aberdeenshire
205
118
182
316
367


Angus
109
65
100
175
175


Argyll and Bute
109
1,058
990
157
148


Clackmannanshire
48
29
44
76
78


Dumfries and Galloway
140
724
276
1091
240


Dundee City
145
82
125
218
236


East Ayrshire
120
491
359
1,219
195


East Dunbartonshire
114
66
101
1,152
1,296


East Lothian
89
55
85
148
146


East Renfrewshire
89
503
81
142
145


Edinburgh, city of
467
277
425
739
2,022


Eilean Siar
37
19
29
50
43


Falkirk
142
85
130
377
235


Fife
345
204
313
544
566


Glasgow City
674
372
570
991
937


Highland
215
112
172
799
838


Inverclyde
93
51
78
135
136


Midlothian
886
50
77
134
131


Moray
85
44
68
580
462


North Ayrshire
150
82
125
217
220


North Lanarkshire
334
196
300
521
520


Orkney
25
15
23
40
31


Perth and Kinross
132
280
123
916
219


Renfrewshire
185
374
162
282
280


Scottish Borders
108
62
94
164
173


Shetland
0
0
0
0
36


South Ayrshire
613
67
103
178
182


South Lanarkshire
309
189
289
503
490


Stirling
86
50
1310
133
140


West Dunbartonshire
98
57
87
151
151


West Lothian
151
85
146
253
258


Sustrans
 
150
1,527
2,570
3,500

Transport

Chris Ballance (South of Scotland) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it plans to allocate in each of the next five years for investment in cycling and walking infrastructure, broken down by organisation receiving the funding.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Budget published in October provided details of spending for cycling and walking. Included in the budget was continued provision to local authorities for cycling, walking and safer streets projects to 2007-08. Provision beyond that time will depend on future spending reviews. Details of allocations to local authorities over the next three financial years for cycling walking and safer streets projects are included in the following table. The table includes funding from successful public transport fund bids.

  

Organisation
2005-06
(£000)
2006-07
(£000)
2007-08
(£000)


Aberdeen City
362
358
365


Aberdeenshire
388
402
412


Angus
185
187
191


Argyll and Bute
156
160
163


Clackmannanshire
82
84
86


Dumfries and Galloway
252
256
262


Dundee City
248
245
249


East Ayrshire
205
208
212


East Dunbartonshire
2,186
187
191


East Lothian
154
165
170


East Renfrewshire
153
160
165


Edinburgh, city of
767
796
818


Eilean Siar
45
44
45


Falkirk
248
259
267


Fife
597
622
639


Glasgow City
988
1,000
1,021


Highland
357
365
374


Inverclyde
144
143
146


Midlothian
138
144
149


Moray
149
150
154


North Ayrshire
232
236
241


North Lanarkshire
549
565
579


Orkney
33
33
34


Perth & Kinross
231
240
247


Renfrewshire
295
298
304


Scottish Borders
183
191
196


Shetland
38
39
40


South Ayrshire
192
194
199


South Lanarkshire
516
531
544


Stirling
147
155
160


West Dunbartonshire
159
160
164


West Lothian
272
293
303

Transport

Chris Ballance (South of Scotland) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what partner organisations it expects to work with in developing the walking and cycling infrastructure in the next five years.

Nicol Stephen: We will continue to work closely with all major walking and cycling infrastructure providers and with cycling and walking organisations including local authorities, regional transport partnerships, Cycling Scotland, Sustrans, Bike Week and the Paths for All Partnership.